


You're My Salvation

by Be_My_Lost_Boy



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Abuse, Anal Sex, Angst, Blow Jobs, Dark, Disturbing Themes, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Masturbation, Minor Character Death, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rough Sex, Sexual Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2019-01-05 00:54:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12179721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Be_My_Lost_Boy/pseuds/Be_My_Lost_Boy
Summary: After spending the day with Rhett, Link walks home in tears, for he knows the horrors that await him. Every night, the brunette must come home to his highly intoxicated, perverted step father while never muttering a word of the abuse to his best friend. Link wears the mask of a happy child but Rhett can see right though the smoke and mirrors, he knows something is wrong but he is not sure what.





	You're My Salvation

**Author's Note:**

> *Trigger Warning*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning

“C’mon, Link!” The blonde laughed while his hand was intertwined with Link’s. The two best friends ran as fast as they could to the woods behind their school, hand in hand to keep one another from falling. The tall trees and aroma of moss acted as salvation for the two boys, for it was the only time they could be alone without any judgement. Almost daily, they were called faggots by their peers, but to them, they were nothing more than, Rhett and Link. The couple spent too much time enjoying life and having fun to be bothered with proper gender roles or whether they were gay, straight, or somewhere in between. Though the two were too young to put their feelings into words, it was obvious that neither one of them wanted to be without the other nor did they crave personal space. Rhett took it upon himself to act as the leader of the group, always looking after the brunette, being his brother and often times hero.

Once the pair came to the familiar clearing, they stopped to catch their breath. While Link was distracted, Rhett decided it was the best time to move in. Slowly, so to not make any noise, he snuck up behind his best friend, mentally counting down from three. “Raaa!” Rhett pounced on the unsuspecting brunette, wrapping his arms around the boy’s small waist, pulling him to the ground. Rhett’s eyes lit up once he heard the boy’s yelp of fear turn into giggles of excitement as they wrestled for dominance. After Link’s mom passed away, Rhett feared he would never see his friend smile or laugh again. He remembers that day, the day the world became a lot darker, it was the first “adult situation” they ever had to face and neither one of them truly knew how to do so.

* * *

 

  _“Rhett, sweetie?” Ms. McLaughlin stood at the doorway to her son’s room, her phone pressed to her breast. She fought to keep her lip from quivering but her watery eyes gave way that something horrible had happened. Rhett paused his video game and stared intently at his mother, the tone in the woman’s voice was one that he had never heard before, peaking his curiosity._

 _“Yeah, mom, what’s up?” The casual tone in the boy's vice broke the older woman’s heart even further, knowing that, within a matter of moments, she would destroy her son’s innocence and the illusion that people, especially parents, live forever._  
  
_“Ms. Neal…” She paused, making her way across the threshold, kneeling down before her son, taking the boy into her arms. “I just received a call, Ms. Neal has passed away.” Rhett froze in his mother’s arms, he wanted to comfort his mother but he knew Link needed him more._  
  
_“M-Mom, is it okay if I-”_  
  
_“Go.”_  
  
_Rhett kissed his mother goodbye before sprinting out the front door, nearly knocking over Cole in the process. Link only lived a few blocks away but it seemed like no matter how fast Rhett ran, his destination kept creeping away from him, like a never ending hallway in a cheesy horror film. “Link! Link, I’m comin’ brother!” He yelled down the street, hoping that his voice would find his way to his friend. “Damn, legs!” Rhett cursed, regretting not taking his bike. “Just hang in there, Link! I’m comin’! The blonde’s mind was filled with nothing but self discipline, telling himself to run faster, calling himself weak when he still was not at Link’s house. Ironically, once the Neal residence came into view, Rhett slowed his running to a walking pace. Being here, approaching the only blue house on the block made everything seem so overwhelming. “I’m here because...Because Link’s mom is...Because she…” There was a moment where Rhett debating on going home, he was scared to enter Link’s house. ‘What if she is still in there?’ Rhett thought to himself, but was already on the front porch, too late to back out now. He thought about knocking, he never did before, but this time things were different. For once in Rhett’s life, he felt it was rude to just barge in unannounced, but there he was, turning the brass colored doorknob, letting himself in as usual._  
  
_It was so strange, everything seemed to be just as it was the last time he was there, giving the appearance that this was just a regular day. Given the drastic lighting difference, it took a minute for Rhett’s eyes to focus, having the most heartbreaking scene come into crystal clear view, one that he knew would surely haunt him for the rest of his life. Link was sitting on the couch alone, one roll of toilet paper grasped tightly in his hand while another empty role laid dormant on the floor while balled up tissues littered the surrounding area. He made no attempt to keep quiet, his distraught voice rang out through the empty house. “Link…” Rhett hurried over to his friend, planting himself onto the seat next to the crying boy._  
  
_“Rhett!” Link dove into his friend’s arms, hugging him tightly, fearing that if he were to let go, Rhett too would leave him._  
  
_“It’s alright, Bo. I’m here now.” Rhett held the boy tightly in his arms, rubbing the small of his back, allowing Link to soak his shirt. The blonde felt guilty for what he had just said, Link’s mother had died and his step father wasn’t even there to comfort him, of course everything wasn’t okay, nor was it ever going to be okay from here on out. But one thing for sure is Rhett was there for Link and come Hell or high water, he wasn’t going anywhere._  
  


* * *

 

 

“Rhett? What ya starin’ at brother?”  
  
“Huh?” Rhett snapped out of his flashback only to see that he was straddling the younger boy, pinning both hands above his head. His face felt immensely warm. “O-Oh, gosh, Link. I-I’m sorry, I-” Immediately, Rhett scrambled to the side, allowing Link to sit up onto his forearms.  
  
“No sweat it, man.” The blue eyed boy flashed his goofy grin, ending his sentence with a light hearted giggle that killed Rhett inside.  
  
_I know you're hurting, please, just let me in. I can help you, Bo. I’ll hold you, cook for ya, listen to ya vent, anything to make you feel alright._ Rhett was unaware what the feelings he had for the other boy meant, he never gave it much thought or cared to tag along a definition. He knew he wasn’t gay, but the thought of spending his life with Link made his heart flutter.  
  
“I don’t mind ya on top of me, as long as you’re not pulling the _I’m dead_ , move.”  
  
Rhett felt his face heat up once more. The innocence in Link’s words, the fact that the boy spoke something so perverted yet had no idea made Rhett hot. He has always felt this way whenever Link would cluelessly say something naughty or show a bit of skin. That was completely normal for a boy to feel this way right, especially with hormones and such? “Yeah, well I like bein’ on top of ya.” He replied with a wink. Rhett couldn’t describe it, but the feeling of Link’s soft skin against his own and the body heat that radiated off of the younger boy made Rhett feel at peace in some way.  
  
Rising to his feet, Link suggested that the two boys do something fun. “I’ll finally show ya how to skip rocks! Better yet, I’ll race ya there!” And with that, the brunette boy was off, dodging trees, his laughter echoed through the brush. Rhett watched as the boy ran from him, admiring his slim figure, nearly salivating as he did.  
  
“H-Hey, no fair!” Rhett sprinted off after Link, never taking his eyes off the boy, partly because he couldn’t but also because he always watched the brunette like a hawk, making sure he was out of harm's way. “Shit, Link!” the sight of Link faced down in the dirt made Rhett’s heart stop, giving him deja vu of the day he couldn’t seem to run fast enough when Link needed him most. “Link, Bo, answer me, you okay?” Within seconds, the blonde was by Link’s side, helping him up.  
  
“Yeah, I’m good.”  
  
“No you’re not, you’re bleedin’, brother. Here, let me carry you home.” Rhett held his arms out.  
  
Link looked down at his bloodied knees. “Nah man, it’s only a couple scratches, I’ll be fine.” He snorted at Rhett’s ridiculousness. _Besides, I have had worse… “_ Grab some flat rocks, I’ll teach ya how to throw ‘em.” Link pulled his shirt up into a basket formation, gathering as many flat rocks as he could, dumping them all into one pile near the lake’s shore. “It sounds corny but it’s all in the wrist.” He explained before demonstrating.  
  
“Wow, Link! That was five skips, you’re so good at everything you do.” The compliment made the younger of the two blush. _Only I can make Link blush like that, shoot, I don’t think I’ve ever seen ‘em blush with anyone else other than me._ The realization caused Rhett to stick his chest out with pride. The boy watched closely as Link threw the rocks, noticing faint marks on his wrist that appeared to be old black and blues. It was almost as if he was grabbed by someone who didn’t know their own strength. Though Rhett could make out what appeared to be finger prints, he shook it off, believing that it had to be dirt and trusting that _if_ something was going on behind the scenes, Link would surely tell him.  
  
“Man, I wish we could stay like this all night. I wish I could stay with you.” Link said with a sigh, letting his smile drop, something he always did when he thought Rhett wasn’t looking. Unfortunately, the blonde was always looking, making note of every micro expression he made, finding the deepest meaning in every word he spoke, capturing the raw beauty that was Charles Lincoln Neal III.  
  
“Then marry me one day.”  
  
“Rhett…”  
  
“I’m serious. They always say to marry your best friend ,well, you **_are_** my best friend. Think about it, we spend all our time together anyway, what difference does it make?”  
  
“That’s true. M-Maybe one day. I just...I just don’t want this night to end, ya know?”  
  
“I know, Buddy Roll, I know.” Rhett couldn’t imagine what it would be like to go home, knowing that someone you love wasn’t there and that they were never coming back. He couldn’t put himself into Link’s shoes without getting teary eyed so he didn’t blame Link for wanting to stay out all night or always ask to sleep over. Rhett pulled Link into a tight hug, the couple stood there, pressed against each other for a few minutes. Link’s head rested onto Rhett’s chest as the older boy ran his fingers through the soft, dark locks. “I love you, Link, don’t cry, you’re too pretty to cry.” Rhett would do anything, **_anything_** , to take all the pain away from his best friend. Since that dreadful day, he has prayed for nothing more than to transfer all of Link’s pain onto himself. _One day I’ll make everything better. “_ Oh, before I forget.” The blonde boy reached into his bag, pulling out a water bottle. “Sit.” Silently, Link obeyed, sitting on the ground once more, this time with his knees bent, sighing when the cold water made contact with his open wounds.  
  
Once the cap was screwed back onto the bottle, Link laid down, tucking his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. Rhett couldn’t help but stare at the masterpiece before him, the way the sun danced along Link’s pale skin, his hair showing glimmers of various brown shades. He took a seat besides his friend, resisting the urge to curl up besides him, pulling the smaller body close, breathing in the heavenly scent. _One day, one day when we’re married._ The blonde assured himself. The sun had begun to bleed into orange, signalling that it was almost time for the two boys to be heading home, something they both hated, but Link more than Rhett. They knew the time was drawing near yet neither one of them said anyway thing, trying to hold on to the minutes they had left. Eventually, it was Rhett who broke the silence.  
  
“Wanna take the long way home?”  
  
“Yeah, yeah I do.” Even though it was decided, it took the boys awhile before they found the motivation to move. Rhett tried to remain a positive attitude, making light hearted jokes, he did it more so for Link’s sake than his own. The two best friends walked home, making sure to take the long way, trying to savor their remaining time together. Once the two became engrossed in their conversation, even the longest way home seemed to be the shortest. Before they knew it, they were turning onto Link’s street, that is when Rhett heard the all too familiar sound of sniffling.  
  
“Bo, don’t cry. We’re gonna see each other tomorrow.” Whipping the smaller boy’s tears, Rhett pulled his best friend into another tight embrace, this time even longer than before, hoping that his hug will somehow mend all of Link’s broken pieces.  
  
“I-I know, but...C-Can I come home with you, please?” Link has begged for things in the past but never like this, never so desperate and broken, it tore Rhett’s heart from his chest.  
  
“I would love for you to, and you know my folks won’t mind but you know your stepdad would never go for it.” Just the mention of the older man made Link’s eyes grow wide and body to become tense, unsure if he wanted to pull away and run or cling to the blonde for protection. “Link, you okay, buddy?” The brunette stood motionless, he did not hear his friends words nor did he see the boy standing before him, waving his hand infront of his face and snapping his fingers. No, Link couldn’t see or hear anything, he was paralyzed with fear, anxiety working as chains, holding him in place, the moonlight burned holes into his skin, daring to expose the truth. Mistaking the younger boy’s quivering for being cold, Rhett kissed the top of his head and sent him on his way. Little did he know that he was sending Link to the place he feared most, the place that made him quiver in the first place. Having too much respect for his friend, Link obeyed, not wanting to disrespect the older boy nor did he want to make a scene, raising any more questions the blonde may have. As always, Rhett stood at the porch steps, watching as Link entered his house, shutting it behind him. Once the porch light was off, he took that as he cue to leave, heading back to his own home, unable to shake the disturbing look Link had on his face.  


* * *

  
  
Quietly, Link locked the front door, wishing to peacefully make his way to his bedroom, but he knew damn well that wasn’t going to happen. Not when his step dad, Jimmy was still awake and that man was _always_ awake.  
  
“You’re late.” The man said, remaining seated in his chair, eyes still focused on the television, Link was able to smell the whiskey emanating off of him.  
  
“I’m sorry, I-”  
  
“I don’t want to hear it, just go to bed.” He shooed, Link wasted no time, he bolted up the stairs as if his life depending on it ( and as far as he was concerned, his life _did_ depend on it.) “Stupid kid.” Once Link was “home free” in the confines of his own room, he immediately stripped down to a pair of basketball shorts that Rhett had told him he could keep along with a loose fitted shirt that hung off his narrow shoulders. From there, he brushed his teeth and washed his face, making sure to pay close attention to the _T-zone_ , as his mother used to call the area where the forehead and bridge of the nose meet. Even after she had passed, her son continued to carry out the lessons she taught, keeping her memory alive in any way he could. He did everything from keeping her picture on his nightstand to washing his face with rubbing alcohol.  
  
“I miss you so much mom, why did you have to go? Why did you leave me here?” The boy muttered to himself, blinking away the tears. Link didn’t waste time dwelling on questions that he knew would never be answered, he had such an amazing day with Rhett that he didn’t want to end it by crying himself to sleep. Besides, he has done that enough times for more than one lifetime.  
  
Link sat in his bed, his knees pulled up to his chest, scrolling through his phone.  
  
_Hey Bo, I miss ya already. <3 _  
  
The text from Rhett made Link’s heart flutter, the feeling of being wanted was all he ever cared for, especially if it was by a certain tall blonde with gorgeous green eyes. He too never analyzed in depth his feelings for his best friend, he loved the older boy and wanted to always be with him, but what did it all mean? Link was unsure if the thought of marrying Rhett made him so happy because it _was_ _Rhett_ or because someone, anyone loved him enough to the point they wanted to spend their life with him. Maybe the older boy was onto something, maybe being married to your best friend wasn’t such a bad idea. After all, who better to spend every day with other than the person you’ve known all your life?  
  
“Hey boy.” Came an all too familiar voice, causing Link’s blood to run cold. Jimmy, his stepdad, stood in the doorway of his bedroom, holding a bottle of half empty whiskey in his hand while his other hand grasped the door frame, supporting himself. The man with a leather-like complexion stared him up and down, smirking as he did so. The closer he got to Link, the stronger the smell of body odor and alcohol became. “Ain’t you just the prettiest little thing.”  
  
Link was unsure of where this new found courage came from, but without hesitation, he slapped the man’s hand away from him. He felt the touch of someone who truly loves him, the touch of someone who cares and Link was no longer going to settle for anything less. “Don’t touch me.” His mom always told him to never hate, that it was disgusting, but the man who staggered towards him was vile and deserved to be hated, deserved to be taken out back and shot. Bloodshot eyes looked the boy over once more, pausing when he saw the fresh scabs.  
  
“Ya been on ya knees again, boy?” He mocked, taking another swig of poison. “What, been runnin’ ‘round with that blonde fella? Been doin’ tricks for him or somethin’?” The man’s words were slurred but Link has heard it all before, every time he goes out with Rhett he hears the same lines. “I always knew you were a God damn whore. I could tell the moment I first saw you.”  
  
“I’m not a whore.” He said bluntly, the verbal abuse no longer fazed him, it was nothing new, none of this was. This Hell he lived in was his home and the man who snuck into his bed every night was his caretaker, the man he was supposed to run towards instead of away from.    
  
“Yeah? Well, the way you slobber all over my cock tells me otherwise. You’re pretty ballsy tonight, what gotten into ya? Or should I say, _who._ Come here!” With one swift move, the man’s hand tangled in Link’s hair, pulling him out of bed, slamming his body to the floor with a loud thumb.  
  
“Ahh! Get off me, you drunk piece of shit!” Never has Link raised his voice or talked back to the drunk, he wasn’t even sure where this was coming from. Little did he know, this new side of him would be short lived.  
  
“Let’s see how ya can keep talkin’ with ya mouth full.” Tightening his grip, the man pushed Link’s face into his  crotch, scraping him against the zipper. “Come on now, you know what to do.” Link could feel the tears forming in his eyes yet again, cursing himself for being so stupid, for thinking he actually stood a chance against this monster. Fighting back tears, he unzipped the man’s pants,feeling his stomach turn at the sight of the half hardened cock. “Go on, get it nice and wet, if ya don’t, it’s gonna hurt like a bitch.”  


* * *

  
  
Rhett walked home, kicking a rock along the way. He hated going home without Link but seeing the boy so distraught hurt even more. Now that he was alone, Rhett allowed his mind to drift to a future when he and Link will be together and have all they ever wanted. He was unsure of exactly where he would like to settle down but had a rough idea of what style house and decor he wanted. The blonde has always been obsessed with old style rustic homes, believing that it would be the perfect scenery for when they snuggled on the couch together watching movies after a long day at work.  
  
Rhett walked into his home, greeting both his parents, making small talk, catching up on that day’s events the way most families do when they come together.  
  
“Are you hungry, dear?” Mrs. McLaughlin asked.  
  
“Not really.” The butterflies still fluttered inside his stomach, making him feel full. As always, his mother prepared a plate just for Rhett, wrapping it in tin foil and placing it in the fridge. “Just incase you get hungry later on.” She would often say. On his way to his room, he was met with his brother, Cole who was exiting the bathroom, causing the them to almost collide with each other. “Oh, hey, sorry man.” The younger of the two said, moving past his brother, unaware that the older boy followed closely behind him.  
  
“You’re out pretty late, what ya been up to?” Cole closed Rhett’s bedroom door, taking it upon himself to be seated in the small, swivel computer chair located across the room.  
  
“Nothing new, just been out with Link.”  
  
“Again? Man, why don’t ya just marry him.” The boy snorted at his own joke, doing what big brothers do best: tease their sibling.  
  
“I’m gonna.” The security in Rhett’s voice allowed Cole to know that his brother was serious, causing him to fall silent. Neither one of them spoke, the silence didn’t bother Rhett, in fact, as Cole fought to gather his words, the younger boy picked out his outfit for tomorrow.  
  
“Gonna what, marry Link? Rhett, a-are you...Gay?”  
  
“No, I’m not gay, being gay is when you like dudes. I don’t like guys I just like Link, always have.” He shrugged, unable to fully express his feelings towards the cute brunette. “I’ve never liked anyone the way I do him, I love him.” There wasn’t any strain in Rhett’s voice, he was not ashamed to openly admit his feelings for Link whether it be to his brother, Link himself or even the world. “It sounds dumb but Link is the only exception. The thought of kissing a guy is a big _Hell no_ for me but I don’t know, Link is just different.”  
  
“How…” Cole searched for a way to string his thoughts together but words kept escaping him. “How can you know that years down the line you’re gonna still want to be with Link? How can you say you want to marry him when you have your entire life ahead of you?”  
  
“Because I have never wanted anything more in my life.”  

**Author's Note:**

> If you've made it to the end I am extremely impressed and thank you very much for doing so! Comments and kudos are always appreciated, I'd love to hear what you have to say! <3 :)


End file.
